The Yin Deficit

According to Chinese philosophy, yin and yang are always working together to create perfect balance. Yin is about receiving. It is the dark side of the yin yang symbol – the side responsible for regeneration and renewal. Yang is the bright side, and is is responsible for giving and action.

Our society values yang. We want to be productive and always moving (myself included). We call ourselves “lazy” when doing nothing. The problem with this emphasis on Yang, is that we are now out of balance. We are so under-nourished and starving for renewal that we are running even faster and doing even more in an attempt to feel satisfied.

A lot of my work has been on the subject of mindless consumption – the tendency to over-spend, over-drink, over-eat, over-work, over-socialize etc. This is a problem that has now led to the collapse of our economy. It is causing more and more of our children to become obese, and is leading to ever increasing levels of addiction in teens and adults.

The only way to transform this imbalance is for more of us to cultivate the ability to receive. We do this by taking time each day to receive our own spirit. As we become energized from within, giving and doing take on new purpose. Instead of chasing ourselves, we extend ourselves. Instead of over-consuming, we express our essence. Instead of being a bottomless pit that can never get enough, we show up for our lives full and share our light with the world.